The gay friendly politico couldn’t attend last night’s National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s leadership dinner, during which he was meant to receive an award, so the gay-friendly politico sent a video message in which he chats about the state’s progressive history, how Martin Luther King Jr. paved the way for gay rights and why he’s proud to have run with Eliot Spitzer, who resigned last month in the wake of his whore scandal.

The bulk of Paterson’s message concerns marriage equality in the Empire State, which the Governor describes as a political imperative:

We will push on an bring full marriage equality in New York State. And when we have done that, we’re going to do more.

We’re going to protect young people from bullies. We’re going to protect against the discrimination of people in the transgender community, and we’re going to fight for decent and affordable healthcare for all citizens in this state.

If you will join with me, and if we work hard enough, we can change the face of New York, which will be the catalyst to changing national policy.